Refrigerator shelf



United States Patent {72] lnventor Joseph P. Zaidan 1234 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19146 [21] Appl. No. 832,773 [22 Filed June 12, 1969 [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [54] REFRIGERATOR SHELF 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S.C1 312 302, 312/298, 312/351 [51] Int. Cl A47b 88/00 [50] Field ofSearch 312/303, 329, 326, 325, 120, 122, 123, 323, 298, 302, 351; 248/285, 240; 21 1/150 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 960,483 6/1910 Becker 248/285 2,104,939 H1938 Whalen 312/302 2,724,629 11/1955 Atchison 3 l 2/302 2,936,205 5/1960 Clark et al. 312/302 3,366,430 l/l968 Diedrich 248/2 85X Primary Examiner-James T. M CC all AlrorneyAlexander B. Blair ABSTRACT: A shelf substantially coextensive with the crosssectional shape of the interior of a refrigerator, or any other type of cabinet, is pivotally supported preferably centrally thereof by a pivot point connected to a crosshead slidable on one end of a supporting arm, the other end of which is pivotally supported on a vertical axis whereby the shelf may be moved directly forwardly from the refrigerator when the door is opened, and then swung in the arc of a circle if desired.

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1 nsrsrorznxroa SHELF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of shelves for refrigerators, freezers, book or kitchen cabinets, special ranges, etc. to permit access to articles on a shelf and also access to the interior of the cabinet to facilitate the cleaning thereof.

Efforts have been made to provide shelves particularly for refrigerators and the like which can be moved to provide access to articles on the shelves. Some of these prior constructions have provided shelves which are rotatable, but these are impracticable because they lose the effective space defined in the corners of the cabinet, it being necessary to cut off at least one corner of such shelf, depending upon its nature and its pivoting action. Most of these prior constructions do not per- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a shelf which is preferably rectangular to correspond to the horizontal cross-sectional shape of a refrigerator or freezer cabinet. This shelf is supported substantially centrally thereof by a crosshead to which it is pivoted, and the crosshead is axially slidable on a supporting rod adjacent one end thereof. The other end of this rod is pivotally connected to a vertical shaft adjacent one wall of the cabinet and adjacent the door thereof. When the door is opened, the shelf may be pulled directly outwardly of the cabinet while the supporting arm pivots on the vertical shaft, the direct forward pulling action being allowed because of the sliding action of the crosshead on the rod. Having been pulled from the refrigerator, the shelf thereupon may be swung on the axis of the supporting shaft to substantially clear the front openingof the cabinet for complete access to the walls thereof for cleaning purposes.

The supporting shaft for the shelf is provided with vertically spaced annular grooves adapted to be engaged selectively by a spring-pressed detent on the shelf, this detent'being releasable so that the shelf may be adjusted to engage the detent with any selected annular groove to adjust the height of the shelf.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a face view of a refrigerator-freezer, parts being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the refrigerator door open and indicating various positions of the shelf;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4-l of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail section on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a similar view on line 6-6 of FIG 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, the numeral 10 designates a refrigerator-freezer unit as a whole having an upper refrigerator compartment 12 and a lower freezer compartment 14. These compartments are respectively provided with doors l6 and 18 hinged in the usual manner as at 20 to the forward edge of one of the sidewalls 22 of the cabinet. The compartments l2 and 14 are respectively provided with top and bottom walls 24 and 26 having a separating wall 28 between the compartments, and the cabinet is further provided with a rear wall 30. Extending between and anchored to the top and bottom walls 24 and 26 is a vertical shaft 32 hav ing vertically spaced annular grooves 34 for a purpose to be described.

The shelf per se of the present invention is indicated as a whole by the numeral 36 and comprises a rectangular frame 38 of conventional form and of relatively rigid material. To provide the shelf with structural strength. transverse rods 40 extend between opposite rods of the frame 38. The shelf further comprises parallel thinner rods or wires 42. Thus the shelf is generally of conventional shape, except that centrally thereof, between the rods 40, the small rods Mare omitted and a plate 44 is substituted therefor and welded to the rods 40.

Preferably centrally of its area, the plate 44 is pivoted as at 46 to a substantially larger plate 48 on which the plate 44 bears. The plate 48 forms a part of a crosshead. the remaining portion of which is made up of a tubelike member 50 (FIGS. 4 and 5) surrounding 21 preferably rectangular rod 52. This rod is slidable in the crosshead and obviously supports the shelf 36. The crosshead is slidable on the rod 52 and its limit of movement toward the free end of the rod is limited by a screw or other projection 54 for a purpose which will become apparent.

The shelf 36 is supported by the rod 52 adjacent one end thereof, and the other end of this rod is connected by screws or other fastening elements 56 to a block 555. The block 58 is slotted as at 60 to receive a detent latch 62 biased to the normal position shown in FlG. 6 by a spring 64. The latch 62 has a projecting end 66 engageable in a sellected annular groove 34 of the rod 32. The latch 62 may be pivoted on one of the fastening elements 56 and is provided with a finger piece 68 so that it may be swung outwardly to release the finger 66 from one of the grooves 34 for connection with another such groove when it is desired to adjust the shelf vertically. It will be apparent that every shelf in the cabinet may be made as described so that every shelf possesses the distinct advantages of the present invention.

OPERATION Except that it is slightly shortened to provide space for the shaft 32, the shelf is substantially coextensive with the interior of the cabinet. When it is desired to gain access to some article which may be arranged near the rear of the shelf, the forward edge of the shelf may be grasped and pulled forwardly, for example, to the solid-line position shown in FIG. 3. While the arm 52 will swing on the vertical axis of the shaft 32 to assume the position shown in FIG. 3, the shelf may be pulled directly forwardly since the crosshead plate 48 is free to slide relatively longitudinally of the rod 52. Assuming that the desired article has been picked up therefrom, the shelf then may be pushed directly rearwarclly into the cabinet.

If it is necessary to move the shelf completely outwardly of the cabinet, the shelf may be pulled further forwardly to the first dotted line position in FIG. 3 in which the shelf is parallel to the solid-line position shown. Every article on the shelf thus will be accessible from above the shelf. If it is desired to gain access to the interior of the cabinet to clean it, the shelf may be swung to the extreme angular dotted line position shown in FIG. 3, and it will be apparent that all the surfaces inside the cabinet will be accessible for cleaning purposes. It is unnecessary for this purpose that a shelf be unloaded to provide access to the interior of the cabinet to clean such surfaces. If, while the shelf is swung to the extreme position referred to, it is desired to wipe off articles on the shelf, such as bottles, each item on the shelf readily may be removed, wiped off and replaced without disturbing any other items on the shelf. When the shelf is to be replaced, it readily may be swung from the extreme position to the dotted line position in which the rear element of the shelf frame 38 is parallel to the plane of the door, whereupon the shelf may be pushed directly inwardly to its limit of movement in the cabinet.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present construction provides a movable shelf for refrigerators or freezers in which little or no storage space is sacrificed, and in which the entire shelf may be moved from the cabinet to provide ac- From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved refrigerator shelf which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As various embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A shelf structure for a cabinet having side, rear and top and bottom walls and a front door, comprising-a shelf, an arm pivotally supported at one end with respect to the cabinet and having pivotal connection within said shelf therebeneath, and means for supporting said pivotal connection relative to said armfor movement longitudinally thereof, whereby when said shelf is pulled from the cabinet. it is free to partake of direct forward linear movement while said arm swings on its pivotal support.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the pivotal support for said arm comprises a vertical shaft fixed with respect supporting said pivotal connection relative to said arm comprises a crosshead carrying said pivotal connection and longitudinally slidable on said arm, the pivotal support for said arm comprising a vertical shaft fixed with respect to the cabinet adjacent one side wall and adjacent the door thereof.

5. A structure according to claim 1 provided with a place centrally of an fixed to said shelf and to which said pivotal connection is connected, said means supporting said shelf for movement longitudinally of said arm comprising a second plate carrying said pivotal connection and longitudinally slidable relative to said arm.

6. A structure according to claim 5 wherein said second plate carries a depending open ended member corresponding in cross-sectional shape to and 'slidably receiving said arm.

7. A structure according to claim 6 wherein the pivotal support for said arm comprises a vertical shaft fixed at its upper and lower ends respectively to the top and bottom walls of the cabinet adjacent one sidewall and adjacent the door of the cabinet.

8. A structure according to claim 7 wherein said shaft is provided with vertically spaced annular grooves, said end of said arm having a spring-pressed detent selectively engageable with one of said grooves to adjust the height of said shelf.

9. A structure according to claim 8 wherein said end of said arm is provided with a head having a horizontal groove therein receiving said spring-pressed detent, and a finger piece carried by said detent for manual movement thereof out of engagement with a selected groove of said shaft. 

